Spool for preventing tipping of the spool during payout of cable

Abstract

A spool includes a receiving portion configured to receive a coil of cable and a first retaining portion and a second retaining portion configured to retain the coil of cable on the receiving portion. A portion of an outer peripheral surface of the first retaining portion and a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the second retaining portion are configured to engage a ground surface. The first retaining portion includes first support portions configured to extend beyond the outer peripheral surface of the first retaining portion to engage the ground surface across a greater distance than the outer peripheral surface of the first retaining portion, and the second retaining portion includes second support portions configured to extend beyond the outer peripheral surface of the second retaining portion to engage the ground surface across a greater distance than the outer peripheral surface of the second retaining portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A reusable spool for receiving a coil of cable and preventing tipping of the spool during payout of the cable from the coil comprising:
 a cylindrical drum having a first end and a second end;   a first flange configured to be removably coupled with the first end of the drum;   a second flange configured to be removably coupled with the second end of the drum;   a first pair of legs movingly coupled with the first flange between a stowed position, where the first pair of legs are disposed within an outer periphery of the first flange, and a deployed position, where the first pair of legs are configured to extend beyond the outer periphery of the first flange;   a second pair of legs movingly coupled with the second flange between a stowed position, where the second pair of legs are disposed within an outer periphery of the second flange, and a deployed position, where the second pair of legs are configured to extend beyond the outer periphery of the second flange;   wherein the first flange and the second flange are configured to be removed from the drum to permit the drum to receive a coil of cable and to be coupled with the drum to retain the coil on the drum;   wherein the cylindrical drum is configured to receive the coil of cable and to permit the coil of cable to rotate relative to the cylindrical drum, the first flange, and the second flange;   wherein a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the first flange and a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the second flange are configured to engage a ground surface over a first distance when the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are in the stowed position; and   wherein the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are configured to be moved to the deployed position to raise the drum, the first flange, and the second flange away from the ground surface to provide additional clearance for payout of the cable from the coil and to engage the ground surface over a second distance that is greater than the first distance to improve stability of the reusable spool so as to prevent the spool from tipping during payout of the cable.   
     
     
         2 . The reusable spool of  claim 1 , wherein the first pair of legs are configured to pivot relative to the first flange between the stowed position and the deployed position, and the second pair of legs are configured to pivot relative to the second flange between the stowed position and the deployed position. 
     
     
         3 . The reusable spool of  claim 1 , wherein a free end of each of the first pair of legs is configured to engage the ground surface where the free ends are separated by the second distance, and wherein a free end of each of the second pair of legs is configured to engage the ground surface where the free ends of the second pair of legs are separated by the second distance. 
     
     
         4 . The reusable spool of  claim 1 , wherein the first pair of legs are configured to slide relative to the first flange between the stowed position and the deployed position, and the second pair of legs are configured to slide relative to the second flange between the stowed position and the deployed position. 
     
     
         5 . The reusable spool of  claim 1 , wherein the first flange and the second flange are configured to be rotatingly fixed with the cylindrical drum during payout of the cable from the spool. 
     
     
         6 . The reusable spool of  claim 1 , wherein the first flange includes first engagement features configured to maintain the first pair of legs in the stowed position, and wherein the second flange includes first engagement features configured to maintain the second pair of legs in the stowed position. 
     
     
         7 . The reusable spool of  claim 1 , wherein the first flange includes second engagement features configured to maintain the first pair of legs in the deployed position, and wherein the second flange includes second engagement features configured to maintain the second pair of legs in the deployed position. 
     
     
         8 . The spool of  claim 1 , wherein the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are configured to be moved to the deployed position such that the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are permitted to contemporaneously engage the ground surface over a second distance that is greater than the first distance to improve stability of the reusable spool so as to prevent the spool from tipping during payout of the cable. 
     
     
         9 . A spool for receiving a coil of cable and preventing tipping of the spool during payout of the cable from the coil comprising:
 a receiving member configured to receive a coil of cable and having a first end and a second end;   a first retaining member configured to be coupled with the first end of the receiving member;   a second retaining member configured to be coupled with the second end of the receiving member;   a first pair of support members movingly coupled with the first retaining member between a stowed position, where the first pair of support members are disposed within an outer periphery of the first retaining member, and a deployed position, where the first pair of support members are configured to extend beyond the outer periphery of the first retaining member;   a second pair of support members movingly coupled with the second retaining member between a stowed position, where the second pair of support members are disposed within an outer periphery of the second retaining member, and a deployed position, where the second pair of support members are configured to extend beyond the outer periphery of the second retaining member;   wherein the first retaining member or the second retaining member is configured to be removed from the receiving member to permit the receiving member to receive a coil of cable;   wherein a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the first retaining member and a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the second retaining member are configured to engage a ground surface across a first distance when the first pair of support members and the second pair of support members are in the stowed position; and   wherein the first pair of support members and the second pair of support members are configured to be moved to the deployed position to engage the ground surface across a second distance that is greater than the first distance to improve stability of the reusable spool so as to prevent the spool from tipping during payout of the cable.   
     
     
         10 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first retaining member and the second retaining member is configured to be removably coupled with the first end and the second end of the receiving member, respectively, to permit the spool to be reused. 
     
     
         11 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first pair of support members are configured to pivot relative to the first retaining member between the stowed position and the deployed position, and the second pair of support members are configured to pivot relative to the second retaining member between the stowed position and the deployed position. 
     
     
         12 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein a free end of each of the first pair of support members is configured to engage the ground surface where the free ends are separated by the second distance, and wherein a free end of each of the second pair of support members is configured to engage the ground surface where the free ends of the second pair of support members are separated by the second distance. 
     
     
         13 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first pair of support members are configured to slide relative to the first retaining member between the stowed position and the deployed position, and the second pair of support members are configured to slide relative to the second retaining member between the stowed position and the deployed position. 
     
     
         14 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first retaining member and the second retaining member are configured to be rotatingly fixed with the receiving member during payout of the cable from the spool. 
     
     
         15 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the receiving member comprises a drum. 
     
     
         16 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the drum comprises a cylindrical drum. 
     
     
         17 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first retaining member and the second retaining member each comprise a flange. 
     
     
         18 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first pair of support members and the second pair of support members comprise legs. 
     
     
         19 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first retaining member includes first engagement features configured to maintain the first pair of support member-members in the stowed position, and wherein the second retaining member includes first engagement features configured to maintain the second pair of support members in the stowed position. 
     
     
         20 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first retaining member includes second engagement features configured to maintain the first pair of support members in the deployed position, and wherein the second retaining member includes second engagement features configured to maintain the second pair of support members in the deployed position. 
     
     
         21 . The spool of  claim 9 , wherein the first pair of support members and the second pair of support members are configured to be moved to the deployed position such that the first pair of support members and the second pair of support members are permitted to contemporaneously engage the ground surface across the second distance that is greater than the first distance to improve stability of the reusable spool so as to prevent the spool from tipping during payout of the cable. 
     
     
         22 . A spool for receiving a coil of cable and preventing tipping of the spool during payout of the cable from the coil comprising:
 a receiving portion configured to receive a coil of cable;   a first retaining portion and a second retaining portion configured to retain the coil of cable on the receiving portion;   wherein a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the first retaining portion and a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the second retaining portion are configured to engage a ground surface across a first distance;   wherein the first retaining portion includes first support portions configured to extend beyond the outer peripheral surface of the first retaining portion to engage the ground surface across a greater distance than the first distance, and the second retaining portion includes second support portions configured to extend beyond the outer peripheral surface of the second retaining portion to engage the ground surface across a greater distance than the first distance to improve stability of the reusable spool so as to prevent the spool from tipping during payout of the cable.   
     
     
         23 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion is configured to be removably coupled with the first end and the second end of the receiving portion, respectively, to permit the spool to be reused. 
     
     
         24 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first pair of support portions are configured to pivot relative to the first retaining portion between the stowed position and the deployed position, and the second pair of support portions are configured to pivot relative to the second retaining portion between the stowed position and the deployed position. 
     
     
         25 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein a free end of each of the first pair of support portions is configured to engage the ground surface where the free ends are separated by the greater distance, and wherein a free end of each of the second pair of support portions is configured to engage the ground surface where the free ends of the second pair of support portions are separated by the greater distance. 
     
     
         26 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first pair of support portions are configured to slide relative to the first retaining portion between the stowed position and the deployed position, and the second pair of support portions are configured to slide relative to the second retaining portion between the stowed position and the deployed position. 
     
     
         27 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are configured to be rotatingly fixed with the receiving portion during payout of the cable from the spool. 
     
     
         28 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the receiving portion comprises a drum. 
     
     
         29 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the drum comprises a cylindrical drum. 
     
     
         30 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion each comprise a flange. 
     
     
         31 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first pair of support portions and the second pair of support portions comprise legs. 
     
     
         32 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first retaining portion includes first engagement features configured to maintain the first pair of support portions in a stowed position, and wherein the second retaining portion includes first engagement features configured to maintain the second pair of support portions in a stowed position. 
     
     
         33 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first retaining portion includes second engagement features configured to maintain the first pair of support portions in an extended position, and wherein the second retaining portion includes second engagement features configured to maintain the second pair of support portions in an extended position. 
     
     
         34 . The spool of  claim 22 , wherein the first support portions are configured to extend beyond the outer peripheral surface of the first retaining portion such that the first support portions are permitted to contemporaneously engage the ground surface across the greater distance than the first distance, and the second support portions are configured to extend beyond the outer peripheral surface of the second retaining portion such that the first support portions are permitted to contemporaneously engage the ground surface across a greater distance than the first distance to improve stability of the reusable spool so as to prevent the spool from tipping during payout of the cable.